The Roman People

The Roman people had at first been inclined to regard the French Revolution with either indifference or derision. But as the months went by and who remained in the city were less and less hopeful of an early return home, the mood of the Romans became increasingly towards the 'assassins of Paris'. The nationalization of Church property in France, the of papal territories, the dwindling of contributions, and the paucity of tourists and pilgrims all contributed to an exacerbation of this antagonism. When the French Convention, determined to gain international recognition for the Republic, dispatched envoys to Rome, the people turned upon them in fury.